Metamucil vs NOW Psyllium 2026: Same Husk, Different Price
Buy NOW plain psyllium over Metamucil. Both are psyllium husk, the same fiber. NOW gives 7 g of fiber in a level tablespoon with nothing added; sugar-free Metamucil gives 3 g in a rounded teaspoon, with flavor and aspartame, and costs 18% more per 10 g of fiber ($0.88 vs $0.75). Want one on a testing list? Buy Konsyl Daily Psyllium Fiber Powder (NSF/ANSI 173).
By Erin Rose Updated October 12, 2026 How we score
Or the other one: Metamucil 4-in-1 Psyllium Powder, Sugar-Free Orange, $0.88 per 10 g of fiber.
Safety: Take psyllium with a full glass of water. Do not take it if you have trouble swallowing. Take other medicines 2 hours before or after. All the cautions.
Side by side
| NOW Psyllium Husk Powder | Metamucil 4-in-1 Sugar-Free | |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber a serving | 7 g (6 g soluble) in 1 level tablespoon (9 g) | 3 g (2 g soluble) in 1 rounded teaspoon (5.8 g) |
| Most a day, per the label | 1 level tablespoon daily on NOW’s plain powder label; the organic page we read gives no limit | 3 servings, about 9 g of fiber |
| What else is in it | Nothing: organic psyllium husk only | Orange flavor and aspartame (the label warns people with phenylketonuria) |
| Per 10 g of fiber, list price | $0.75 | $0.88 |
| Price checked at | NOW’s own store, October 6, 2026 | Walgreens (Metamucil sells nothing itself), October 6, 2026 |
| On a public testing list | No | No |
Why NOW
The fiber is the same, so the difference is what comes with it. NOW’s level tablespoon is plain husk with 7 g of fiber. Metamucil’s rounded teaspoon gives 3 g, and its label allows up to 3 a day, about 9 g. Per 10 g of fiber, Metamucil costs $0.88 at Walgreens’ price and NOW $0.75 at NOW’s own store. For the lowest cost, the plain psyllium that scores 7 or more and costs the least is NOW Whole Psyllium Husks, $0.51 per 10 g.
Choose Metamucil if the orange flavor is what gets you to take fiber every day. Avoid the sugar-free kind if you have phenylketonuria.
If you want a tested psyllium
We searched NSF, USP and the Informed lists for both brands and found neither. If you want an outside program to check the tub against its label, buy Konsyl Daily Psyllium Fiber Powder: plain psyllium on NSF/ANSI 173, $0.87 per 10 g of fiber. Which fiber is third-party tested.
Questions
Is Metamucil better than plain psyllium husk?
No. Both are psyllium husk, the same fiber. Metamucil adds flavor and a sweetener and gives 3 g of fiber a scoop, against 7 g for NOW’s plain powder, and it costs more per gram of fiber.
What sweetener is in sugar-free Metamucil?
Aspartame. The label carries the phenylalanine warning for people with phenylketonuria. The regular kinds use sugar: 4 g a serving in Original Texture, 8 g of added sugar in Orange Smooth (the labels).
Is either one third-party tested?
We found neither on NSF, USP or the Informed lists. The listed plain psyllium we could price is Konsyl Daily Psyllium Fiber Powder (NSF/ANSI 173).
More: the best psyllium, how much psyllium to take and psyllium formats compared.
Sources
- Labels: Metamucil 4-in-1 Sugar-Free Orange, Original Texture and Orange Smooth (NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database) and NOW Psyllium Husk Powder, Organic and regular (nowfoods.com), read October 6, 2026.
- Prices: nowfoods.com and Walgreens.com, regular one-time prices, checked October 6, 2026. Testing lists: NSF/ANSI 173, NSF Certified for Sport and Informed Choice read October 6, 2026; USP Verified and Informed Sport as listed on September 22, 2026.